Type II Dislocation Loops and their Effect on Strain in Ion Implanted Silicon as Studied by High Resolution X-ray Diffraction

P-type (100) silicon wafers were implanted with 28Si+ ions at an energy of 50 keV and to doses of 1 × 1015, 5 × 1015 and 1 × 1016 cm−2, respectively, and annealed in a N2 ambient at temperatures ranging from 700°C to 1000°C for times ranging from 15 minutes to 16 hours. The resulting microstructure consisted of varying distributions of Type II end of range dislocation loops. The size distribution of these loops was quantified using plan-view transmission electron microscopy and the strain arising from these loops was investigated using high resolution x-ray diffraction. The measured strain values were found to be constant in the loop coarsening regime wherein the number of atoms bound by the loops remained a constant. Therefore, an empirical constant of 7.7 × 10−12 interstitial/ppm of strain was evaluated to relate the number of interstitials bound by these dislocation loops and the strain. This value was used successfully in estimating the number of interstitials bound by loops at the various doses studied provided the annealing conditions were such that the loop microstructure was in the coarsening or dissolution regime.